Personal Health Budgets in Warrington helped people at the end of their life

Personal Health Budgets in Warrington helped people at the end of their life

Having personalised, proactive conversations around people’s preferences for the end of their own life is difficult, but Warrington CCG have pioneered the use of giving people a choice through a personal health budget for this.

In 2017, their programme raised the number of people able to die in a place of their choice from 26 per cent to 83 per cent. Each personalised care and support plan was unique, but themes such as flexible support, respite for carers and being able to die at home were common threads, alongside pain management and symptom control.

Not one person requested a traditional care package resembling the standard care offer. As well as making a profound difference for those who benefitted, the CCGs saved up to half the cost of conventional services.